Rotary plow.



W. F. MAcGREGOR.

ROTARY PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27. I914.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

LQUKSIU.

3 SHEETS'SHEET I.

W. F. MACGREGOR.

ROTARY PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27. 1914 3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

m2: @526 D m Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

rzRs courncmurha.wAsmNnmN n c W. F. MAcGREGOR.

ROTARY PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27. 1914.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

tractor.

I AN 1 WALLACE F. MACGREGOR, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO 3'. I.CASE THRESHING MACHINE COMPANY, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION.

ROTARY PLOW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

Application filed June 27, 191i. Serial No. 847,619.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVALLAOE F. MAO- Gnnoon, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Racine, county of Racine, and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RotaryPlows, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to rotary plows or soil milling machines and seeksto provide an improved, power-operated rotary plow or soil milling toolwhich will act elfectively to break up and pulverize the soil as it isdrawn over the ground.

The invention consists of the features of improvement hereinafter setforth, illustrated in the preferred form in the accompanying drawingsand more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of th-e improved rotaryplow or soil milling machine and the rear portion of a tractor to whichthe machine is connected. Fig. 2 is a detailed elevation of the soilmilling tool with parts shown in section on the line 22 of Fig. 3. Fig.3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, with a portion of thegear casing broken away. Figs. 4 and 5 are the detailed sections of thelines 4-4 and 55 respectively of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a side elevationillustrating a modification of the improved soil milling tool. Fig. 7 isa detailed section on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

The improved soil milling machine or rtary plow is adapted to beconnected to a suitable draft frame and preferably to the rear portionof the frame 1 of a suitable tractor. The latter, in the form shown, isprovided with traction wheels 2 carrying a rear axle 3, the axle beingconnected by suitable gearing with the drive shaft 4 of the A countershaft is journaled at the lower rear portion of the tractor or draftframe and the frame of the rotary plow is hung upon this counter shaft.The frame of the rotary plow comprises suitably connected side bars 6,which are hung at their forward ends upon the counter shaft 5 to permitthe vertical movement of the soil milling tool or rotary plowcarriedthereby.

The soil milling tool is mounted upon a shaft 7 which is journaled insuitable bears 8 a th ea of the s de ar .6-.

A chain 9 passes over a sprocket 10 on one end of the shaft 7 and over asprocket 11 on one end of the counter shaft 5. A drive chain 12 connectsa sprocket 13 on the counter shaft with a sprocket 14 on the main driveshaft of the tractor. In this way the rotary soil milling tool carriedby the shaft 7 is driven in forward direction as indicated by the arrowsin Figs. 1 and 3 as the machine moves forwardly over the ground.

A screw 15 is connected to the frame bar 6 and extends through asuitable yoke 16 which is pivotally connected at its lower end to abracket 17 that is fixed to the lower rear portion of the tractor frame.A hand-wheel l8 threaded on the screw 15 into engagement with the yokeserves to raise and lower the soil milling tool. A spring mounted on thescrew serves to force the milling tool to working position in theground. Preferably as shown, the soil milling tool is covered by asemi-cylindrical shield 20 fixed to the rear ends of the side bars 6. Infront of the shield a platform 21 is mounted on the side bars.

The soil milling tool comprises a circular series of supporting bars orshafts 22, which are journaled at their ends in two heads 23 and 24,which are fixed to the drive shaft 7 adjacent the bearings 8 therefor. Aseries of tooth holders, preferably in the form of sleeves 25 areloosely mounted or journaled on the bars orshafts 22, and each sleeve isprovided at its ends with laterally projecting split clamps 26. Soilcutting teeth 27, having sharpened beveled ends are arranged within theclamps 26 of the toothholders and. are secured thereto by bolts 28. Eachtooth is provided with a series of holes 29 for the bolt 28, so that itcan be longitudinally adjusted in the tooth-holding clamp. Coiledsprings 30 are mounted upon the bars or shafts 22 adjacent to the toothholders, one end of each spring being con nected to a stud 31, fixed tothe bar or shaft 22, and the other end of the spring being connected tothe end of the corresponding tooth holder. In the form shown, each toothholder is provided at one end with a perforated ear 82, which is engagedby the end of the spring 30.

Suitable means is provided for adjusting or feathering the toothsupporting bars 22 as the tool is rotated, so that the soil cuttingteeth will be presented at a proper angle to the ground. In theconstruction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a pinion 33 is fixed to one endof each of the tooth supporting bars or shafts 22, and these pinions areconnected by intermediate idler pinions 34 to a pinion 35 mounted on theshaft 7. Preferably as shown, the head 24 is hollow and comprises a mainbody portion and a cover plate 24 so as to form an inclosing case forthe pinions 33, 34 and 35. As shown, the main body portion of the headis provided with suitable bearings 36 for the hubs of the pinions 33,and also with inwardly projecting studs 37 whereon the intermediatepinions 34 are mounted. In the construction shown, a single intermediatepinion serves to connect two of the pinions 33 to the central pinion 35;The latter is held against rotation, and in the construction shown, itshub comprises segmental portions 38, which interlock with correspondingsegmental portions 39 on the end of the adjacent shaft bearing 8.

As the machine is drawn forwardly over the ground, the soil milling toolwill be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and3. The gearing described serves to adjust or feather the supporting bars22 so that the soil cutting teeth are maintained substantially parallelvand are presented at a proper angle to the ground. Preferably as shown,the teeth are inclined downwardly and forwardly with respect to theground line, as indicated in Fig. 3. By means of the teeth 27, the soilis efiectively broken u and pulverized, and the machine can be avantageously used as a substitute for the ordinary plow. In case one ofthe teeth strikes an obstruction, it and the corresponding tooth holderwill yield against the tension of its spring 30 so that the parts willnot be broken. As soon as the obstruction is passed, the spring willreturn the tooth holder and teeth carried thereby to proper operativeposition. The teeth may be adjusted longitudinally in the holders orclamps to thereby vary the working depth. 7

The construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is similar to that heretoforedescribed, except that a different means is provided for adjusting orfeathering the tooth supporting bars. In this construction, the toothsup porting bars or shafts are provided with crank arms 40 having crankpins 41thereon which engage suitable bearing openings formed in aneccentric strap or ring 42. This eccentric strap or ring is mounted upona stationary eccentric 43, the ring being held in place between thecrank arms 40 and a flange 44 formed on the eccentric. In theconstruction shown the eccentric 43 is formed in one piece with theadjacent bearing 8' of the shaft 7 This mechanism, like the gearingshown in Figs. 3 and 4," will serve to adjust or feather the toothsupporting bars and maintain the soil cutting teeth in proper angularrelation to the ground.

It is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the details setforth, without departing from the essentials of the invention as definedin the claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a rotary plow, the combination with a frame, of a power operated,rotary, soil milling tool mounted on said frame and comprising heads ina circular series of supporting shafts journaled in said heads, holdersloosely mounted on said shafts, soil cutting teeth rigidly mounted onsaid holders, springs connecting said shafts and said holders toyieldingly maintain the same and said teeth in working position, andfeathering mechanism connected to said shafts to positively rotate thesame in said heads as said tool is rotated, substantially as described.

2. In a rotary plow, the combination with a frame, of, a power operatedsoil milling tool rotatably mounted in said frame and comprising ashaft, two heads thereon, a circular series of supporting shaftsjournaled in said heads, holders loosely mounted on said shafts, soilcutting teeth on said holders, springs connected to said shafts and saidholders for yieldingly maintaining the same and said teeth in workingposition, a stationary controlling member, and connections between saidmember and said supporting shafts for positively rotating the latter assaid tool is rotated, substantially as described.

3. In a rotary plow, the combination with a frame, of a, power-operatedsoil-milling tool rotatably mounted on said frame and comprising acircular series of supporting bars, sleeves loosely mounted on said barsand provided with laterally projecting clamps, soil-cutting teethadjustably secured in said clamps and springs coiled about said bars andconnected thereto and to said sleeves for maintaining the latter andsaid teeth in working position, substantially as described.

4. In a rotary plow, the combination with a frame, of a power-operatedsoil-milling tool rotatably mounted on said frame and comprising aseries of supporting bars, sleeves loosely mounted on said bars andprovided with projecting clamps, soil cutting teeth adjustably securedin said clamps, coiled springs yieldingly connecting said sleeves tosaid bars, and mechanism for feathering said bars as the tool isrotated.

5. In a rotary plow, the combination with a frame, of a soil-millingtool rotatably mounted in said frame and comprising a circular series ofsupporting bars, soil-cutting teeth yieldingly mounted on said bars,mechanism for rotating said tool in forward direction, and featheringmechanism connected to said tooth-supporting bars for maintaining saidteeth at a downwardly and forwardly inclined angle to the ground,substantially as described.

6. In a rotary plow, the combination With a. frame, of a soil-millingtool rotatably mounted on said frame and comprising a circular series ofsupporting bars, sleeves loosely mounted on said bars, soil-cuttingteeth clamped to said sleeves, springs coiled about said bars andconnected thereto and to said sleeves for maintaining the latter andsaid teeth in position on said bars, mechanism for rotating said tool inforward direction and feathering mechanism connected to said supportingbars for positively shifting the same as the tool is rotated to therebymaintain said teeth at an incline to the ground, substantially asdescribed.

WALLACE F. MACGREGOR.

Witnesses:

THno. JoHNsoN, PATRICK W. MoRRIssnY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0.

